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The FY 2017 Spending Deal is a Win for Human Service Nonprofits

2017-05-05 |
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities

The $1 trillion omnibus spending deal to fund the government for the remainder of FY 2017 (until Sept. 30) has passed the House and Senate. For the most part, it protects the programs we feared may see a reduction or elimination. In fact, overall Health and Human Services received a $2.8 billion increase. Although the Department of Education and the Department of Labor suffered reductions, some programs did receive a boost. Head Start saw a cost of living increase. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) received a 3.6 billion increase for opioid use prevention and treatment, and the Mental Health Block Grant received a $30 million increase. This is a huge win for the nonprofit human service sector and indicates that we can, as a strategic network, mitigate harmful legislative decisions and fuel ones that will make positive changes for individuals, families, and communities.

However, the fight for FY 2018 is just around the corner, with a House mark-up of a budget bill as early as May 15, but more likely in June. Trump’s budget is expected May 22, but could also be delayed until June. Much deeper cuts are expected in the administration’s proposed budget and the president is prepared to fight for them. On Tuesday, President Trump tweeted that the U.S. “needs a good ‘shutdown’ in September to fix mess!”

The Alliance policy office is prepared to lead our strategic network in protecting important programs and funding that provide well-being for those we serve.